Hanging in the Balance
by ImprovisedKatastrophe
Summary: A routine call to a hotel turns dangerous for one of the 51st! Will his friends manage to save Lt. Casey in time? Or will Severide let this friendship slip through his fingers?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Does anyone remember me? I was writing a lot in the spring but then my account got hacked and my stories deleted. I've managed to recover my writings and am now attempting to return to FF. If you were an old fan and wish to see my stories republished, or perhaps you're a new fan (WELCOME!), then please PM me or review letting me know! I'll happily update my stories in the next day or so!**

 **I'm a total sucker for Sevasey and the amazing Bromance. I wish there was more of it on the show, but content myself with other fanfictions and dabbling on my own! This would be somewhere early 2** **nd** **season. I hope you enjoy! Please leave a review with your thoughts!**

"What've we got Chief?" Casey asked as he and Severide approached Bowden.

They stood in front of a ritzy hotel, the _Onyx_. Boden's eyes swept over the building, calculating. "We have four elevators to check and clear. The fire's on the top three floors but believed easily containable. All the occupants are reported safely out. Casey, you and Mills will aid Squad in evacuating the elevators. Hermann and the rest of your crew will join Engine 51 in containing that fire."

The lieutenants nodded and moved to quickly bark orders, Casey sending his men, under Hermann's control, to the inferno, and Severide gathering materials.

"Alright, Mills, Casey, stick with me. We'll check shafts one and two. Capp, Clarke, check three and four. If you need assistance, let me know," Kelly ordered.

The two groups hurried into the building, quickly moving to the appropriate doors. As Mills and Casey unlocked and wrenched the doors open, Severide peered inside. Radioing to Boden that the first was clear, they quickly proceeded to the next set of doors. Repeating the process, they discovered the car to be several stories above them.

"Okay," Severide began, quickly forming a plan. "Mills, you and Casey head up there and check for occupants. I'll finish up down here with Capp and Clarke and meet you there."

The other two firemen nodded and jogged to the other end of the lobby, beginning to ascend the stairs. Kelly moved to assist Capp and Clarke.

Upon reaching the floor the car appeared to be on, Casey and Mills set about opening the metal doors. When they were able to open them, they realized the elevator was actually below them, suspended between floors.

"Severide," Casey radioed.

/Yeah?/

"The car's between floors. It's a few feet below us."

/Can you get to the access hatch?/

"Yeah, I think so…"

/Have Mills belay you and check for occupants. Remove your jacket and helmet before you go. We're headed your way./

"Copy that," Casey confirmed. Turning to Mills, he gave a small smile. "Ready to do some squad training?"

Mills grinned and began setting up the belay rope system as Casey shed his jacket and helmets. Once Casey was securely strapped in, Mills braced himself against the elevator doors. Carefully, Matt lowered himself through the opening, towards the elevator. As he reached the roof of the car, he called up to Mills.

"Alright, give me some slack. I'm going to open the emergency hatch," he called upwards. Feeling the rope loosen, Matt knelt on the metal roof. Turning the hatch handle, he heaved the door open. Laying on his stomach, he leant into the car. "Fire Department! Is everyone okay?"

Inside, he saw a man in a business suit, a woman holding a baby, and a young girl. They were all standing, appearing unharmed.

"We're okay," the woman answered, offering a small smile.

"Good, my name is Matt Casey. We'll get you out of here in just a few minutes," Casey reassured her. Standing back up, he reached for his radio once more. "Severide."

/Yeah, what's up Matt?/

"There are four occupants in the elevator. A man, a woman, a little girl, and a baby. All are uninjured."

/We're three floors down with the sled. Can you get the baby out? Boden's worried about a potential power outage./

"Copy that," Casey confirmed, leaning back into the opening. "Ma'am? Can you hand me the baby? Our team's bringing a rescue sled to bring the three of you out but it's not safe for the little guy. If you hand him to me, I'll hand him off to the firefighters on the floor above us."

The woman nodded and moved under the opening as Matt reached down into the car. "Shh…Tommy," she soothed, handing the boy to Matt's outstretched arms. "Go with the fireman honey."

Casey carefully grabbed the child and lifted him up through the hatch. "Hi there, Tommy," he greeted, easing to his feet. Looking up above him, he called out to Peter. "Hey Mills? I need you to reach down and grab Mr. Tommy here."

After a minute or two of shuffling, Peter's face appeared through the doors, a few feet above them. His arms soon followed, reaching for the tot. "Hey big guy," he smiled, retrieving the small boy.

Casey smiled lightly before looking back down the shaft. "Mills? I'm climbing in."

"Wait, Casey…" Mills protested, carefully standing with Tommy.

"Think about it, Mills. Someone will have to be in there to secure them to the sled. I'm already down here," Matt reasoned before leaning back into the elevator opening. "I'm coming down."

"Yes sir, Lieutenant," Peter conceded, watching as his leader maneuvered himself into the elevator car. Tommy gurgled contently in his arms, seemingly unfazed.

As Casey lowered himself into the elevator, he smiled, hoping to relieve the occupants. "Hello, once again, I'm Matt Casey. Tommy is safely upstairs with my team and the sled will be here any second. Then we're going to get you all out of here."

/Casey/

"I'm here, Severide," he responded, smiling at the young girl.

/We're above you. I'm coming down to the car and then I'll send the sled down to you./

"Sounds good," Casey agreed. "I'll send the girl up first."

/Copy that./

Seeing that the little girl was frightened, Matt knelt in front of her. "Hi there. What's your name?"

"Kelly," she said softly.

"Kelly huh?" Matt grinned. "Well Kelly, my best friend's name is Kelly, and he's climbing down right now to get you out of here."

"Really?" she smiled shyly.

"Really," he promised, hearing a light 'thud' above them. Motioning for her to step closer, Casey scooped her up. He walked to the hatch opening, just as Severide poked his head through. "Kelly, meet Kelly."

Severide beamed at the blonde girl, offering her a gloved hand. "Nice to meet you, Kelly. Ready to get out of here?" She nodded shyly, shaking his hand. "Well then, I'll send down your sled, little princess."

Matt set Kelly back down next to her mother before returning to the opening to help Severide lower the sled. "Alright, Kelly. Let's get you strapped in. Just lay down in the sled here and I'll fasten you in, okay?"

The little girl did as she was told and was soon lifted up and out to the hotel hall. Her mother, Eve, was taken up next, reunited with Tommy and Kelly. Finally, Matt turned to the business man. He looked nervous, sweating and slightly fidgeting. Casey frowned.

"Okay sir, you'll be next," he reassured him. "Just another minute or two."

The man nodded stiffly, taking a deep breath. Casey exchanged glances with Severide through the hatch before the sled was lowered once more. The man continued to breathe shakily and tense as the straps were fastened, dangerously close to breaking down. Giving the signal to raise the sled, Casey lifted the head and aided its ascent through the opening. Halfway through, the man snapped. The confines of the hatch and the straps were too much and he thrashed and kicked. The flailing caught Casey off guard, sending the fireman careening into the side of the elevator with a surprised yelp. The noise and crash caught the attention of the squad lieutenant. Severide quickly pulled the panicking man through, effectively clearing the hatch and calming the man minutely.

As Kelly faced the shaft, aiding the man's ascent, he called down below, concerned. "Casey?" Silence ensued. "Damnit Matt, answer me!"

Assuring the panicking man safely reached the hotel floor, and waiting fireman, Severide quickly spun to look through the hatch. Matt lay splayed out, motionless, his head flopped listlessly to the side.

"Matt!" he called out, frantically removing his harness and ropes. "C'mon Matt…"

Free of his harness, Severide looked back into the elevator. Casey remained motionless, but he could see blood pooling beneath the blonde's head. Severide swiftly lowered himself into the car, being careful not to land on his fallen friend. Landing in a crouch, Kelly hurried towards Matt, just as he groaned, moving his head slightly. Kelly inwardly rejoiced at the movement, as it meant Casey's neck was alright. He gently grasped Matt's head, slowly turning it so he could view the damage. Blood covered the left side of his face, thick and crimson.

"Shit," he muttered, trying to gauge where the blood was coming from. "Hey Matty? C'mon bud…"

Suddenly, they were plunged into darkness, the predicted power outage finally making an appearance. Loud metallic clangs rang out from higher in the shaft. Confused, Kelly grabbed his radio.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded, concerned the elevator was about to become a death trap.

/Power outage, Kelly/ Boden answered. /These fancy hotel doors bolt shut if they lose power. We can't get back in the shaft yet./

"Damnit!"

/You and Casey will just have to hang tight./

"Matt's hurt, Chief. The guy panicking knocked him into the side," Severide explained, lightly tapping his friend's cheeks.

/How bad is it?/

"Bleeding from his head, and he hasn't woken up yet," Kelly continued, reaching for his flashlight.

/We'll get to you as soon as we can, Kelly. Keep me updated./

"Copy that," he replied distractedly, turning to illuminate his friend's face. Grasping the light between his neck and his chin, Kelly carefully began inspecting Matt's head. It was still bleeding pretty fiercely, but he reminded himself that it was a head wound. After a minute or so of searching, he discovered a gash, stretching from the eyebrow to below his ear. Concerned about the bruising around the temple, Severide felt for Matt's pulse. Finding it slightly sluggish, he resumed patting the blonde's cheeks. Then he rubbed his chest, hoping to spark consciousness.

"Matt? Hey Matt, c'mon buddy. Wake up, Casey," he barked.

After a minute or so of attempting to rouse his friend, Severide stood to shine his light up the elevator shaft. There still didn't appear to be any sign of the squad breaking through. Suddenly, a low moan sounded behind him. Kelly spun around, seeing Matt struggling to sit up, agitating his clotting head.

Quickly kneeling beside him, Severide braced his friend's head, slowly lowering him back to the floor. "Hey, just hold on a second, Matty. Take it easy…how're you feeling?"

Wincing, Matt blinked. "Like Cruz drove the truck over my head."

His hands still on either side of Casey's face, Kelly nodded. "Yeah well you decided to head butt the elevator and it won."

"Wonderful," Casey slurred, shakily reaching towards his face. "Why is it so dark?"

"Power outage. This schmancy hotel has doors that bolt shut in these situations, so we're stuck in here for a bit," Severide explained, irritation and concern leaking through his voice.

"I'm okay, Kelly," Matt reassured, recognizing his friend's protective nature. "Don't even feel concussed."

Severide smiled lightly. "Too hard headed for that, huh Little Brother?"

"I get it from you," he grinned minutely, wincing.

"Nah, we get it from Shay," Kelly quipped, watching Matt's responsiveness carefully. "Want to try sitting up?"

The blonde looked considerate for a moment. "Yeah, okay."

Severide kept a hand on Matt's head, the other grabbing his friend's forearm. "Ready? 1, 2, 3…up we go…" Gently, Kelly tugged his fellow lieutenant upright, settling him against the wall. Casey squeezed his eyes shut, a small groan escaping. Severide frowned, keeping the gentle brace on the other man's face. "Matty? You okay?"

Casey grunted in response. "Yeah," he ground out. "Just really…shifty…"

Kelly frowned. "Shifty? Are you in pain? Dizzy? You gotta work with me here, Matt…"

"Can you…can you turn that light out Kel?" Matt swallowed tightly.

"Shit, yeah hold on," Severide agreed, clambering over to the fallen flashlight. Quickly extinguishing the light, he carefully returned to his slumped friend. Finding Matt's forearm, he gave a gentle squeeze. "Sorry, bud. That better?"

"Yeah. Lights were making it more…shifty…"

"There you go again, Matty…"Severide muttered, grabbing his radio. "Chief…Severide to Chief."

/Go Severide./

"Casey's awake…"

/How is he?/

"Not really sure. He's possibly concussed, has a large gash, sluggish pulse, sensitive to light and not making a whole lot of sense."

/Keep him conscious, keep me posted. We'll get you out. Boden out./

"Copy that," Kelly sighed, turning back to Matt, who was squeezing his eyes shut once more. Kelly frowned, gently gripping Matt's shoulder as he studied the blonde in the dim emergency lighting. "Matt? How're you feeling?"

Casey emitted a low groan before responding tightly. "I take back that 'not even concussed' part…"

Severide sighed. "Oh yeah? C'mon Trouble Magnet, open those puppy dog eyes…" Waiting for Matt to comply, Kelly tried to fight back concern. Slowly, watery blue eyes fluttered open. "There you go… your pupils are normal. Still feeling shifty?"

"A little less," the blonde muttered. "It was weird, Kel."

"What was shifty?" Severide pushed, carefully inspecting the bloody gash on Matt's face.

"Felt like I was spinning or falling or…something. You sounded fuzzy…like I was underwater," Casey explained slowly, leaning into Severide's hand. "Happened when I sat up."

Kelly's brow creased as he moved to sit next to Matt, gently settling his friend's head on his shoulder. "Your equilibrium's messed up, huh bud?" Feeling the blonde nod, Severide sighed. "Don't worry, Matty. Shay will check you out when we're out of here."

"No she won't, Kel. Shay only checks out girls," Matt snickered drowsily.

Severide smirked. "Alright, smartass. Who knew little brothers could be so much trouble?"

"It's cause we know the big brothers will always be there to have our backs…even when we lose to an elevator."

"Yeah, even then," Kelly agreed, suddenly shifting his attention up the elevator shaft. "Do you hear that, Matt?"

Casey squinted as metallic clangs resounded through the elevator car. "Yeah…sounds like your guys."

Severide smiled and retrieved his radio. "Severide to Chief."

/Come in Severide./

"ETA on retrieval."

/Breaking through any minute. How's Casey?/

"Shaky but conscious. We'll need Shay or Dawson."

/Standing by…/

"Copy that. Severide out," Turning back to Matt, Kelly frowned when he saw the blonde's eyes drooping. "C'mon bud, keep your eyes open. Talk to me, Matty."

"About what?" Matt mumbled, forcing his eyes open a bit more.

"Anything…do you think Shay will yell at me for this?" Severide suggested, eager to keep his younger friend talking.

"For me cage fighting an elevator? Nah… I don't…well…maybe? I am adorable. And I'm younger," he slurred slightly.

Kelly shook his head, noting the shaft above filling with lights. "Oh so now it's okay to be younger? _Now_ you're going to play the baby card to Mom, just great," he playfully bantered.

Casey snickered briefly before groaning. Above them in the shaft, squad finally wrenched the doors open. Severide sighed in relief as he spotted Capp and Clarke lowering ropes. "Easy bud, just another minute or so…stay with me, Matt."

"Severide? We're lowering the sled. Can you secure Casey?" Clarke asked, finally reaching the elevator roof.

"Yeah, I'll get him," Kelly assured, carefully maneuvering himself out from under Matt. Gently, he tilted the other lieutenant to rest against the wall. "Stay put, Matt."

Quickly rising to his feet, Kelly moved to grab the rescue sled from Clarke, placing it on the floor of the elevator. Returning to Casey, Severide gently stood the other man up, steadying him as he swayed. "Alright bud, let's get you strapped in, okay? C'mon…" Once Casey was secured into the sled, Severide carefully tilted the sled vertically. "Okay, now just close your eyes Matt and try to relax. It'll be over in a second."

Casey closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm okay, Kelly."

Kelly nodded stiffly before turning to the squad members above him. "Nice and easy guys. He got knocked around down here."

Capp and Clarke nodded, easing the truck lieutenant through the hatch. Severide helped until Matt was out of his reach. As soon as Casey had safely reached the hotel floor above, Kelly urged the others to toss him down his harness, eager to return to Matt's side.

Meanwhile, Matt was being released from the sled and allowed to sit against a wall, where Shay began inspecting him. "God Matt," she tsked. "We can't take you anywhere, can we?"

"Guess not…made Kelly worry again."

At this, Shay laughed, carefully cleaning the gash. "Of course he worried, he's Kelly. I'm glad he was down there to worry about you."

"I would've been fine," Matt protested.

"Yeah, but he wouldn't have been," she countered, retrieving a penlight. "We heard his panicked yells when you went down, Matt. At least in there he could get to you. I'm not sure what would've happened if he was stuck out here, unable to see if you were okay."

Before Casey could respond, a voice rang out from behind Shay. "It wouldn't have taken so damn long to break back into the shaft, I know that," Severide asserted, kneeling next to Matt. "How is he, Shay?"

"Easy, big brother," she soothed. "Matt's gonna be just fine. We're going to take him to get some stitches and a precautionary CT. Then he can stay at our place and you can follow him around with pillows and bubble wrap."

Before either lieutenant could respond, Boden interrupted. "Alright, the fire's out, the elevators are evacuated, and all of our men are accounted for. House 51 move out!"

As their fellow firemen began filing down the hall to the staircase, Shay and Kelly turned to look at Matt.

"What's the plan?" Shay asked. "Can you make it down or to I get to strap you in?"

"I'm okay," Casey stated quickly. "I don't need to be strapped in."

Shay opened her mouth to protest but Kelly cut her off. "I'll get him, Shay."

The blonde paramedic raised an eyebrow but nodded, moving towards the staircase. Severide and Casey, both sans jacket and helmet, exchanged glances.

"You're not forcing me in the chair?" Casey asked incredulously.

"You say you've got it, and I'm going to back your play. But," he warned, helping Matt to his feet. "You start faltering and I _will_ put you in a fireman's carry."

The younger man smiled lightly, allowing Kelly to pull his arm over his shoulders. Wrapping an arm around Matt to steady him, Severide led them to the stairs. Together they made their way down, both thankful to have survived another day on the job and grateful to have the support from one another.


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright! Thanks to all of the people who favorited, followed, and reviewed! Here is the conclusion of this story! I'm working on a longer one, and will gladly take requests or suggestions! Please Review!**

Kelly Severide hated hospitals. He hated the smell of antiseptic, the too-white surfaces, and the monotonous beeping sounds that could be heard throughout the halls. Currently, however, his hatred was directed towards the double doors located across from his uncomfortable plastic chair. These were the doors that refused to return his best friend. Bouncing his knee up and down, Kelly released a sigh. "C'mon Matt…"

Shay smirked slightly, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. "Easy Kel…breathe with me. In…Out…In…Out…Little Brother will be okay."

Kelly laughed lightly and shrugged her off. "I'm just tired of waiting Shay, not giving birth."

"That's too bad," she quipped. "I think you'd make a lovely mother."

"Matt's certainly given me the practice," Kelly deadpanned.

The two roommates shared another chuckle before settling back into silence, though it was more relaxed this time. A short while later, the doors finally opened, revealing the firefighter in question, his arm draped over a doctor. Shay and Severide quickly stood to greet them, Kelly narrowing his eyes at the slight stumbling Matt was doing.

"How is he, Doctor?" Shay voiced, noticing Kelly's distraction.

As Severide moved to take the doctor's position under Matt's arm, the man stepped forward to talk with Shay. "As you know, Lieutenant Casey has sustained a laceration in the area of his temple that required stitches. He'll need to keep that area dry for the next 48 hours. He also has a low grade concussion and is experiencing a loss of equilibrium."

Hearing this, Kelly piped up. "He's what?"

"Occasionally, head injuries can cause the subject to have a ringing sensation in inner ear. This can cause a loss of balance or equilibrium. It's a temporary issue and should resolve itself over the next few days. He may experience some dizziness or nausea and will be unsteady on his feet. But, as long as he's not going home alone, I'm okay with releasing him," the doctor explained patiently.

Shay nodded, understanding the medical side of the situation better than Kelly at that moment. The second the squad lieutenant had seen Casey still not standing securely on his own he'd switched from emergency personnel to big brother mode, blurring his ability to rationalize. Matt, meanwhile, seemed to be enjoying being returned to his brother.

Leaning his head towards the crook in Kelly's neck, Matt sighed. "See, Kel? I told you I felt shifty!"

Kelly managed a small smile then, wrapping his arm around Matt's torso. "Yeah, you did, huh bud? Guess you were right about all that shiftiness."

Shay smiled and thanked the doctor before approaching the troublesome duo. "Are you two ready to get out of here? We need to get Matt cleaned up and get some food into you guys. And I did promise Kelly some pillows and bubble wrap."

This earned a groan from Matt but the pair nodded and Kelly steadied Matt as they made their way out to the parking lot. Hermann had been nice enough to drop off Severide's car earlier, so the trio was free to head straight to the loft apartment. Tossing the keys to Shay, Kelly climbed into the back next to Matt, allowing the blonde to settle back on his shoulder.

"You okay, Matt?" he asked, brow furrowing slightly.

"Uhhuh…just need things to stop moving," Casey muttered lightly, hoping to soothe his friend's worrying.

Kelly smirked lightly. "Yeah, well good luck with that bud. Shay's driving, so you know what that means…"

Matt laughed. "Yeah we will end up…" Noting Shay's glare in the rearview mirror, he back tracked. "Will end up safely at your place in a timely manner."

"Nice save, Matthew," Shay quipped.

"Chicken," Severide mock growled. "Mom wasn't gonna punish you after you got locked in an elevator."

Matt just smiled and leaned into the strong shoulder of his surrogate brother, trying to ease his pounding head. It was nice to listen to the soothing banter of Shay and Severide, a gentle reminder of what he could've lost earlier that day.

Once they arrived back at the Shayveride loft, Kelly carefully helped Casey up the stairs and settled him on the couch. Shay followed closely behind them and searched the fridge for a drink. Grabbing three Gatorades, she slid two across the counter towards Severide. The firefighter caught the bottles and opened them, handing one to Matt.

"Alright, you two, drink up," She ordered gently. "Then we need to make some decisions. We can eat now or we can eat later…what do you want to do, Matt?"

"I'm not sure I'm up to eating right now," he admitted. "Things are still…"

"Shifty," Shay and Severide interrupted, smiling.

"Okay, well that's not a problem," the paramedic smiled. "I think it'll probably help if you take a nap. Your concussion isn't so bad that you can't sleep for a bit, and it might help with your equilibrium."

"I'm game, but I'd like to clean up a bit and change first," he smiled, looking down briefly at the blood stains on his shirt.

Kelly noticed and winced sympathetically. "Yeah, we'll need to clean around your gash too, Matt. But we can't get those stitches wet."

"Ooh, sponge bath… kinky," Shay winked, laughing at the boys' expressions. "I'll leave you two to it then."

Severide rolled his eyes and gently pulled Matt to his feet, allowing the younger lieutenant to take a few stumbling steps on his own before he steadied him. "Alright Matty, let's get you cleaned up and into some sweats huh?"

Casey allowed Kelly to gently lead him up the stairs and into one of the bathrooms. Sitting down on the closed toilet, Matt briefly closed his eyes as his vision spun slightly. Kelly wet a wash cloth and approached his surrogate brother, gingerly tilting his face upwards. He then began to lightly wipe away the blood and sweat away from the wound and off of Matt's face. "How're we doing bud? Still pretty shifty huh?" he asked carefully, trying to keep the concern out of his voice.

Matt picked up on the edge in his friend's tone. "I'm fine, Kel. Just enjoying the special treatment," he quipped.

Kelly laughed briefly. "Oh yeah? Well don't get used to it buddy…you're getting too old to be babysat."

"That's true, but that won't stop you from looking after me," the younger man stated seriously, opening his blue eyes finally.

"Damn straight," Kelly promised, depositing the washcloth next to the sink and easing Matt back to a standing position. Making his way to the room Matt occasionally inhabited, Kelly helped his friend sit on the bed and dug out some sweats and a t-shirt the other firefighter had left for such a time.

"Thanks, Kelly," Matt smiled, tugging the clean shirt over his head. "You won't let me sleep too long, right?"

"Nah…I'll make sure you're…"

"Are you kidding?" Shay interrupted, sticking her head into the room. "I'll have to drug him or incapacitate him to keep him from waking you up every 30 min. C'mon, Kel…let Little Brother sleep."

Severide rolled his eyes at the blonde's antics and shook his head. "I'll wake you up in a bit to eat, okay? Just go to sleep, Matty."

Casey smiled and allowed himself to relax back against the bed, soon drifting off into a calming sleep. Shay and Severide smiled softly at one another before heading downstairs. The blonde plopped on the couch and patted the space next to her.

"C'mon, Kelly… come and sit with me and let Casey sleep off some of his shiftiness," she quipped, grinning. "You both managed to live to annoy me yet another day!"

Severide smiled and collapsed playfully next to his roommate. "Yeah, I know…but it was pretty scary for a little while, Shay. When that man was pulled through the hatch, I heard Matt cry out and then silence. When I finally was able to look into the elevator, he was collapsed and there was blood pooling…and then I couldn't wake him up! I know Matt's always talking about his hard head and 9 lives and all…but we're in the teens now."

"Yeah, I know," she soothed. "But so are you, Kel. I know that you're the big brother in the relationship, but Matt and I've seen you hurt or in some sort of peril just as many times. At first, I told myself it was just part of the job but nobody gets into the shenanigans you two find…so I've just had to accept that you two are just that special…or pigheaded."

Kelly offered her a sheepish look, throwing his arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry about that. You must've been really lucky in a previously life to get stuck with both of us, huh?"

At this, the blonde burst out laughing. "Oh yeah, really lucky or I was so bad that this is my punishment! Now, you be good," she lightly ordered, standing from the couch. "I'll only be gone for a little while. Don't wake your brother up from his nap until I get home, okay?"

"And where are you going?" he inquired, frowning.

"I have a promise to fulfill so just stay put and watch some cartoons or something… don't answer the door while Mommy's not home!" she grinned, leaving the apartment.

A little over an hour later, Severide ventured upstairs to rouse Matt, with Shay's permission. Carefully sitting on the edge of the bed, he gently shook the other man's shoulder. "Hey, Matt…C'mon bud, time to get up. Shay brought home food," he enticed.

With a bit of a groan, Matt forced his eyes open, smiling lightly at his friend's barely contained mirth. "Oh yeah? And is it the food that has you so excited? Or is there some other devious plot?"

Laughing, Kelly stood up, allowing Matt to stand on his own, pleased when he saw that Matt appeared a little more stable. "I'm just happy, Matthew," he mock scolded. "Am I not allowed to be happy?"

"You are," Casey conceded, allowing Severide to help him towards the stairs. "You just normally have some hidden agenda when you get that look. Like when we put KoolAid in Shay's shower head, or when you terrified Otis with the chain saw."

The older man just grinned and continued escorting his friend down the steps. When they reached the living room, Matt discovered the reason for Severide's mirth. The coffee table had been moved, replaced by an enormous quantity of pillows, quilts, and blankets, creating a large pillow fortress. Stepping forward to further inspect the creation, Matt found himself grinning alongside his friend.

"A Matt-proof space, huh?" he joked.

"Well yeah, that was the promise," Shay responded from the kitchen. "Unless you roll over and smother yourself or something."

Seeing that Matt was comfortable collapsed on one section of the monstrosity, Kelly made his way towards his friend. The second he reached the carpet, however, a loud cacophony of 'pops' rang out, causing the lieutenant to jump backwards. Matt double over laughing as Shay smirked. Severide bit out a curse before lifting the corner of the rug.

"Ah…bubble wrap. Very nice Leslie…" he muttered tightly. "Good one."

"What can I say?" she grinned. "I promised you bubble wrap and pillows!"

That evening, the trio enjoyed movies and pizza from the comfort of the pillow fort, each thankful to have the other two safe and happy. Their jobs left little room for guarantees, but they knew that no matter what, they'd always have one another.

 **What did you think? Please let me know and PM or review if you have any ideas or recommendations about future fics!**


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